If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Well, hey. I imagine there's plenty of us, myself included, that had to compromise our plans before Mustang Week so it's understandable. Glad to hear you'll still make it down, though, and you know I won't care a bit that you're still rocking V6 power lol

I honestly am going to miss my V6 this year considering this will be the first Mustang Week I can't bring it to, but it's in need of TLC and my focus has been on the Saleen lately...

Well, a lot has gone on since Mustang Week. First and foremost, my mother came home from the Roger C Peace rehab center at Greenville Hospital a week or so into August, and is continuing to recover from her stroke very well. She's getting more and more use out of her left arm, and her leg is starting to come along as well. She's up and at it with her walker about 99% of the time, only uses her wheelchair if they go somewhere that requires a lot of walking. She'll shuffle around the kitchen, do dishes, make biscuits and cornbread, cook a few different things, and whatnot. She does all the mixing and measuring to get her dexterity back, and the rest of the family will do the carrying and to-and-from the oven. Helping her out and taking care of a lot more around the house and slowed progress on the build, however progress IS still being made. Also a very big thank you to those I met up with this year who remembered to ask about her. Mainly Caleb, Chris, and his family. Meant a lot.

Now, onto the horsepower update...

It took a while after I got home to get started on the motor again, but I finally did a few weeks ago. First thing was taking an inventory of what we had and seeing what else we still needed to get everything together. Once we compiled a list, I shopped around for prices and found out Summit was cheapest on just about everything. Phillip needed a couple of parts for the 98 Saleen clone he picked up, so we decided to drive 2 hours and visit Summit. Ended up getting upper and lower radiator hoses, belt tensioner, idler pulley, thermostat elbow, and 2 motor mounts.

A few days later, we started setting the timing on the motor. While setting the chain guides and tensioners, we ran into a problem. When we disassembled the motor, we took the time to bag and tag the bolts/nuts/etc that came off every step of the way. I guess sharpie doesn't hold up quite like it used to, because we couldn't find the timing chain hardware. So I pulled up the install guide from the Summit site that I'd saved, and it listed bolt sizes and quantities. 3 trips to Ace Hardware later, we had all the hardware, and had the timing set. Very, very easy to do on a 4.6. I was surprised.

After that, we put the timing cover on the motor (this is where another of those Ace trips came into play), and bolted on the idler pulley and A/C delete. After that, we decided to bolt on motor mounts. Passenger side went on fine, then on the driver's side, one hole didn't line up. Upon further inspection, I had gotten two passenger side mounts instead of one for each side. So I'm having to do an exchange with Summit on that... whoops.

After that, we ran out of daylight and had to put it on hold until another day. However, today, Phillip sent me a text with an update on the valve covers that his friend is customizing. Still a little more he's doing to them, but they look incredible. Can't wait for them to be on the car.

Need to get the new mount from Summit, underdrive pullies from American Muscle, and a couple other things, and timing cover will be done.

*Cam followers/rollers are installed, had to get a couple of lifters from Advance after two from Summit were dead, but everything is good and operational
*Longtubes are installed
*Driver's side motor mount is installed
*Belt tensioner I got from Summit was wrong, so I had to get a replacement. It'll be here this week.
*Underdrive pulleys from American Muscle will be here Tuesday

Haven't gotten the pictures uploaded to my computer, but the motor is looking awesome. Especially with those longtubes sticking out the back side. Can't wait to have more of the new parts on there so it'll look more like a complete piece. Waiting for tax time to install, get a tune, and break it in. After that, I just need to upgrade shocks/struts and control arms. Should be 100% ready to rock once spring rolls around.

If you want updated pics of the build before I get to post them on here, follow instagram: Clemsonsixer.

Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Clemson's insane run to the National Title game, I've been slacking a bit on the motor build. However, I'm picking things back up as quick as possible.

That's how the motor is sitting as of right now.

And those are the completed valve covers

The underdrive pulleys still have to go on

I've gotta get an alternator and a starter

I have the PCV system on its way from LMR

I picked up an IAC and MAF

Control arms are on the way from American Muscle

Picked up new shocks for the rear end, and will be upgrading to quad shocks to help keep everything planted

Also have a K-Member ready that I need to go pick up so I can mount the engine/trans once it's all completed, and have to pick up new struts for the front end as well

I'm helping my buddy do some suspension work on his '66 tomorrow so it can be closer to being at MW2K16. Then once my federal refund comes in I'll pick up everything else I need, put the deposit down for my MW2K16 room, and start assembling final pieces and get wiring started. Then once the state refund comes in after March 1 (thanks a lot SC...) I'll get the tune, swap out everything, finish wiring, and off we go.

Went the day after the previous post to help Phillip do a disc-brake conversion on his 66. New spindles, caliper mounts, calipers, ball joints, rotors, everything. He painted the wheels a couple days later and sent it to me. He's just gotta find tires, and she's good to go. Only other things I know he needs to do are new clutch, carb rebuild, and tune-up. Aside from that, she needs to be cleaned up and she's ready to roll.

After lunch, we did a few things on my motor before we jumped back into the 66. Did the water pump and crank pulley on the underdrive set, just waiting to get an alternator to finish it. Also mounted the tensioner, and assembled the fuel rails to the intake... which I actually forgot to get a picture of. Sorry bout that.

But control arms and PCV pieces are here, starter is on the way, got a couple of gaskets coming so we can finish mounting stuff on the top end, and alternator will be bought as soon as Uncle Sam decides to give me my refund $$. I can't wait.

Haven't been able to make any real progress on it the past couple of weeks, but I did stop back by Phillip's place today to help him a little more on the '66.

Managed to get a picture of the intake with the fuel rails.

Also got all of this delivered over the past 10 days. Only thing not in the pic is flexible dipstick tube and rear control arms

And actually had this delivered tonight to mount the new motor/trans on:

Best part about that K-Member... FREE

I work in the Garden Center at Home Depot and early this winter our Pavestone vendor came in and ripped out all of our display block and stacked it about 4 ft high on a pallet and basically told us to do whatever with it. I opened the next morning and my ASM came up and said "before you leave today, find this pallet a home and get rid of it." I put it on facebook and a buddy of mine who owns a shop in Anderson laid claim to it. He came and picked it up and asked how my build was going. Told him it was going strong, but I was gonna need a k-member in the near future and he said "ok, say when and I'll pull one for you to pick up on me". Buddy of mine picked it up tonight and dropped it off at the house.

Taking it to Phillip's tomorrow, gonna clean it up, paint it black, then start rebuilding it with new tie rods and ball joints, then mount the drivetrain whenever it's finished. Gotta pick up 2 spare tires to roll it all around on until "Swap Day" comes.

This build is slowly but surely coming to an end, and I'm kinda getting sad about it. BUT... Phillip's already making plans to pull the 302 out of his '93 and rebuild it with TFS heads. I'm trying to convince him to do a stroker kit since he's gonna have everything apart... but TBD I guess. Either way, the quest for horsepower will continue.